Chapter One: The Village on the Mountain Edge

  The two foolish men opened their eyes wide, staring straight at the thatched roof made of straw and mud, covered with an old cotton quilt that had turned a deep yellow color, its original appearance no longer visible, emitting a faint musty smell.

  Next to him was his second brother, Han Zhuo, who was sleeping very soundly, and from time to time, a series of light and heavy snores came from his body.

  About five feet away from the bed, there was a wall made of yellow mud, which had been cracked open by time, revealing several fine and unobtrusive cracks. From these cracks came the faint sound of Mrs. Han's murmuring complaints, occasionally mixed with Mr. Han's "puff puff" sounds as he smoked his water pipe.

  The two silly men slowly closed their somewhat dry eyes, forcing themselves to enter a deep sleep as soon as possible. He was very clear in his heart that if he didn't go to bed honestly, he would not be able to get up early tomorrow and go into the mountains to pick firewood with other companions who had made an appointment.

  Er Gouzzi's surname is Han and his name is Li, such a rustic and unsophisticated name. His parents couldn't come up with it themselves. It was his father who made two coarse grain buns and asked Old Zhang from the village to give him a name.

  Old Zhang used to be a study companion for the rich people in town when he was young, and was the only literate person in the village. He even gave names to more than half of the village children.

  Han Li was called "Second Fool" by the villagers, but he wasn't really foolish or stupid. On the contrary, he was the smartest kid in the village. Just like other kids in the village, except for his family members, he rarely heard anyone call him by his real name "Han Li". Instead, the nickname "Second Fool" had stuck with him until now.

  He was nicknamed "Second Fool" simply because there was already a child in the village called "Fool".

  It's nothing, the other kids in the village are also called "dog wa" "er dan" and so on, these names aren't necessarily better than "er dang zi".

  So Han Li didn't like this title, but he could only comfort himself with it.

  Han Li's appearance was unremarkable, with dark skin and the look of an ordinary farm boy. But deep down inside, he was far more mature than his peers, having always yearned for the rich and prosperous world outside from a young age, dreaming that one day he could leave this small village and take a look at the outside world that Old Man Zhang often spoke of.

  When Han Li had this idea, he didn't dare to mention it to others. Otherwise, it would definitely make the villagers feel shocked that a young kid who still smells of mother's milk could have such a thought that even adults wouldn't dare to think about easily. To know that other kids around Han Li's age were still chasing chickens and dogs in the village, let alone having the strange idea of leaving their hometown.

  Han Li's family of seven has two older brothers, one sister and a younger sister. He is the fourth child in the family and is only ten years old this year. The family lives a very frugal life, and they can't even eat meat dishes several times a year. The whole family has been hovering around the poverty line.

  At this time, Han Li was in a daze, as if he was half asleep and half awake. In his annoyance, one thought still lingered: when going up the mountain, he must help his beloved sister pick more of her favorite red bayberries.

  The next day at noon, when Han Li was trudging under the scorching sun with a half-person-high pile of firewood on his back and a full bag of wild fruit in his arms, hurrying home from the mountain, he had no idea that a guest who would change his fate had already arrived at his home.

  This noble guest is a close relative of his, his paternal third uncle.

  It is said that in a nearby small town, there was an inn where he served as the head manager, and was considered a capable person by his parents. In nearly a hundred years, the Han family may have only produced one relative with some status, which was Third Uncle.

  Han Li had only seen his third uncle a few times when he was very young. His older brother worked as an apprentice for an old blacksmith in the city, and it was this third uncle who introduced him to the job. This third uncle also often asked people to bring some food and daily necessities to his parents, taking good care of their family. Therefore, Han Li had a good impression of this third uncle, knowing that although his parents did not say anything, they were also very grateful in their hearts.

  Big brother is the pride of the family, I heard that as an apprentice to a blacksmith, not only are meals and accommodation provided, but also thirty copper coins are given every month. When he formally becomes a master craftsman and gets hired by someone, he will earn even more money.

  Every time his parents mentioned his older brother, they became spirited and lively, as if transformed into a different person. Han Li, although young in age, was also envious to no end. His ideal job had long been decided - to be taken under the wing of some skilled craftsman in this small town, become an apprentice, and from then on live a respectable life relying on his skills for food.

  So when Han Li saw his Third Uncle, who was wearing a brand new satin robe, with a round chubby face and a small mustache, he became extremely excited.

  After putting the firewood in the back of the house, I went to the front room and gave Third Uncle a greeting, calling out "Third Uncle is well" and then standing obediently on one side, listening to my parents chat with Third Uncle.

  Third Uncle smiled and looked at Han Li, sizing him up for a moment, praising him with words like "obedient" and "understanding", then turned his head and started talking to his parents about the purpose of this visit.

  Han Li was still young and couldn't fully understand Third Uncle's words, but he also roughly understood the general meaning.

  The wine tower where San Shu worked originally belonged to a Jianghu school called "Qi Xuan Men". This school had an outer and inner door distinction. Not long ago, San Shu formally became the outer door disciple of this school and was able to recommend children aged 7-12 to take part in the Qi Xuan Men's selection test for inner door disciples.

  The "Seven Mysteries Gate" which recruits inner disciples every five years is about to start next month. This third uncle, who has a few clever tricks up his sleeve and no children of his own, naturally thought of Han Li, who was of the right age.

  The usually honest and simple-minded Han father, upon hearing words like "jianghu" and "menpai" that he had never heard before, was hesitant and indecisive. He picked up his tobacco pipe and took a few fierce puffs, then sat there silently, not making a sound.

  In San Shu's mouth, "Qī Xuán Mén" was naturally the most powerful and top-notch gate school within a radius of hundreds of miles.

  As long as you become an inner door disciple, not only can you practice martial arts for free and have no worries about food and drink in the future, but also get a few more silver coins to spend every month. Moreover, those who participate in the assessment, even if they are not selected, will have the opportunity to become outer door personnel like Third Uncle, specializing in handling external business for "Qixuanmen".

  When he heard that he might get one or two silver coins every month and have the opportunity to become a respectable person like Third Uncle, Han's father finally made up his mind and agreed.

  Third Uncle was delighted to see Korean Father and promised to take care of it. He left a few taels of silver and said that he would come back in a month to bring Korean Li away, during which time he asked Korean Father to cook more delicious food for Korean Li to nourish his body and prepare him for the test. Then Third Uncle and Korean Father bid each other farewell, patted Korean Li's head, and left the door to return to the city.

  Han Li didn't fully understand what Third Uncle said, but he understood that going into town could earn him a lot of money.

  A long-held wish was about to come true, and he couldn't sleep for several nights in a row due to excitement.

  Third Uncle arrived in the village on time after several months, to take Han Li away. Before leaving, Han's father repeatedly reminded Han Li that as a person, he should be honest and tolerant of things, not arguing with others, while his mother told him to pay attention to his body and eat well and sleep well.

  On the carriage, watching his parents' figures fade into the distance, Han Li bit his lip tightly, forcing himself not to let the tears in his eyes flow out.

  Although he was much more mature than other children since childhood, after all, he was still a ten-year-old child. The first time he went out for a long distance, his heart felt a little sad and confused. In his young heart, he secretly made up his mind that when he had earned a lot of money, he would rush back immediately and never be separated from his parents again.

  Han Li never thought that after this trip, the amount of money had lost its meaning to him. He actually walked on a different immortal path from ordinary people and walked out his own cultivation path.